Elemental

25. HEALING AND REBUILDING

"Can someone please explain to me how the bloody hell all this rubbish is going to fit into that small suitcase?" Joe asked, eyeing all of McKay's belongings as he tried to pack them at the last minute.

"There exists such a thing as magic, you know," McKay retorted, trying to stuff a large pile of sweaters into an already overflowing suitcase.

"I can't believe you're done with college though," Tori commented, watching his sombre expression as he walked back and forth between his cupboard and the suitcase on his bed, in a less than fruitful attempt to sort all his belongings out.

"I know," he replied, to which Joe commented, "Good riddance!"

Tori snorted in amusement at the searing look McKay gave Joe. Pointedly looking at Joe, he continued, "I'm coming back next semester though, to help in the Water Works department, Morgan told me they're looking for a volunteer."

"That's neat," Tori replied, smiling, unconsciously playing around with her pendant. Joe, on the other hand, snorted loudly. "As if we need another version of Eventide shadowing every living soul at this college." McKay, wisely, ignored him and proceeded to pick up a pile of neatly folded shirts.

Suddenly, he stopped and threw his pile of shirts down on his bed. "Tori, when are you going to talk to Laverne, for heaven's sake? The girl is breaking down, she needs a friend."
Tori avoided his eye, preferring, instead, to play around with a loose thread on McKay's bedsheet. "I do talk to her," she replied a little guiltily, feeling a knot form around her heart.

"You know what I mean," McKay looked at her pointedly. Joe became still. "She misses you," he continued, "and you miss her too, I know that. Stop acting tough and just talk to her, like you used to."
The knot around Tori's heart tightened. "Yeah, I know that and I will, alright?"
McKay shrugged. "It's not her fault. It's nobodys fault that Montefiore is a thick skulled mess up of dark magic."

"I know that, McKay." Tori looked at her fingers on her laps, feeling an off feeling of déjà vu leading back to the hospital wing when Morgan had told her the same thing. "It's just… she humiliated me. I'm still having a hard time accepting my life, accepting the fact that I have an evil oddity for a father, accepting magic, and friends. She knew that, and you know it."

"McKay has a point though," Joe spoke up. "Don't you think she paid the price already?" He looked at her earnestly. "And besides, we've been through so much together, is one bygone enough to erase that?"

Tori shook her head and stood up. "I'll talk to her." Joe smiled at her.

"I'll see you guys at dinner, yeah?" Joe nodded. Tori waved and left McKay's cubicle. Her run in with Laverne had not completely been ironed out. Tori still felt resentful towards Laverne.

Tori walked up the stairs to the girls dormitory, her heart heavy. She could not stomach the thought of leaving this heaven where she belonged, to go back to Madam Minch's children's home. To top that, she had not talked to Blaze since she had been released from the hospital wing. And now, the pressure of purposely going out of her way to keep things close to minimum with Laverne was getting to her, and she felt ready to collapse.

She slunk quietly into her cubicle and sat on her made bed. Her suitcase lay packed on the floor beside the mirror, waiting to be rolled out to the car.
Just as she was getting ready to cry, a knock on her cubicle door interrupted her.

"Yeah, it's open!" She called.
Clarisse popped her head around the door. "Hi T." She slowly walked in, closing the door behind her.
"Hey Clarisse, what's up?"
"Nothing great. Actually ready to go home, I just came by to say goodbye."
"Aren't you staying for the end of year feast?"
"Nah, mom wants me home immediately. I finally told her exactly what has happened, and she's freaking out." Clarisse peered at Tori. "You alright?"
"Yeah, holding on, trying to keep it together." Tori replied quietly, nodding slowly as she did.